Associations in California, Massachusetts, and Wisconsin affiliate with the AFL-CIO

Today the Santa Maria Elementary (Calif.) Education Association, the Kenosha (Wisc.) Education Association, and the Professional Staff Union (Mass.) announced their affiliations with the AFL-CIO. The affiliation of the NEA locals will encourage greater cooperation to meet the needs of working teachers, students and their families, according to the participants.

At a meeting of the AFL-CIO Executive Council in Chicago, AFL-CIO president John Sweeney presented certificates of affiliation to the presidents of the associations affiliating. Sweeney was joined by National Education Association (NEA) president-elect Dennis Van Roekel and American Federation of Teachers (AFT) president Randi Weingarten.

“Teachers and education professionals are being assaulted by the lack of funding for public education,” said Sweeney. “Today's affiliation means greater collaboration in the fight for a better future for the next generation.”

"We're pleased that working families are coming together to advance the right of every student to attend a quality public school. Opponents of public education are not letting up in their attacks, with school vouchers schemes and resource cuts. We need to work together, building coalitions and fighting back with a unified voice," noted Van Roekel.

The affiliation will facilitate greater cooperation among union members in the fight for health care, retirement security, and good jobs. It will also further unify teachers in the fight for quality public education and student and teachers’ needs in the classroom.

"We welcome these new members to the AFL-CIO," said Weingarten. "When working people come together through the labor movement, we can make much more of an impact where we work and live. Our education members, in particular, look forward to working with these NEA members to help improve the institutions where they work and the people they serve."

 The affiliation comes as part of a groundbreaking agreement between the national AFL-CIO and the National Education Association allowing for local associations of the NEA to affiliate directly with the AFL-CIO. The Labor Solidarity Partnership is supported by AFT, a long-time AFL-CIO affiliate. To date, over 12,000 NEA members across the country have joined the AFL-CIO through the partnership. 

The National Education Association is the nation's largest professional employees organization, representing 3.2 million elementary and secondary teachers, higher education faculty, education support professionals, school administrators, retired educators and students preparing to become teachers.

The AFL-CIO is the nation's largest organization for working families, with 56 affiliated unions representing 10.5 million men and women. The AFL-CIO speaks out for good jobs, health care, a secure retirement, workers' rights and other issues important to all who work.

Contact: Alison Omens (202) 637-5018